Don’t handle baby animals

March 21, 2012

Unseasonably warm weather may have Michigan's black bears and recently born cubs out roaming earlier than usual.

Great-horned owl chicks are already hatched and will be out of the nest before long.

Spring is the season for wildlife to give birth.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds residents to resist the instinct to try to help baby animals that may appear to be abandoned because in nearly every case a parent is nearby and the baby animal is not abandoned.

"The truth is, the animal doesn't need help - for example, even if a fawn appears to be abandoned, its mother is almost always nearby," said DNR wildlife ecologist Sherry MacKinnon. "We appreciate the good intentions of those who want to help, but the animals are better off left alone than removed from the wild."

MacKinnon said it's not uncommon for does to leave their young unattended for up to eight hours at a time; an anti-predator strategy that minimizes scent left around the newborn animals.

"The same holds true for rabbits, ground-dwelling birds and other wildlife," she said. "Even avian parents will continue to care for hatchlings that have fallen from a nest."

The DNR advises that:

- Many baby animals will die if removed from their natural environment, and some have diseases or parasites that can be passed on to humans or pets.

- Some "rescued" animals that do survive become habituated to people and are unable to revert back to life in the wild.

- It is illegal to possess a wild deer or any other wild animals in Michigan, and every day a deer spends with humans makes it that much less likely to be able to survive in the wild. A tamed deer will walk in front of a car or try to leap through a sliding glass door. A tamed buck can and often will attack people when it becomes sexually mature and begins to view humans as rivals, not as its friends.

- Eventually, habituated animals pose additional problems as they mature and develop adult animal behaviors. Habituated deer, especially bucks, can become aggressive as they mature, and raccoons are well-known for this, too.

"If you come across a deer or other animal that you are certain has been orphaned early in the year - for example, if a doe is dead nearby - please call your local DNR office. They can refer you to a licensed rehabilitator," said MacKinnon. "Licensed rehabilitators are trained to handle wild animals and know how to release them so that they can survive in the wild."

In essence, the rule is:

- If you come across a wild baby animal in the wild, the best thing you can do for that animal is to leave it alone and leave the area immediately.

- Tie or leash all domestic dogs so that they do not chase parent animals away from young that have been left while the parent forages.

- If you find an injured animal, or find a baby animal that you truly feel has been abandoned, contact the DNR office nearest the location of the animal so that an expert can assess the situation.

The care of a wildlife baby requires an expert - either a DNR biologist or the animal's parent.